October is fire safety month. My son in law has been out visiting day cares, preschools and schools to help spread the word about fire safety This is part of his job as firefighter that he loves and often volunteers to do. If you want to teach your child about fire safety there are some great worksheets to help prevent fire prevention, be sure to have an escape plan in the case of a fire Adults also need to be safe around fires and there is a checklist for adults as well and for little ones that like to color here are some coloring pages for teaching fire safety I hope you look through the resources and find something that helps you. Be safe, be smart

When I used to work full time away from the house I would keep Healthy Choice dinners on hand to take with me. They tasted great, were good for me and best of all easy to fix. The blog A Giveaway Addicted Mommy is hosting a giveaway where she has five free coupons for Healthy Choice dinners to giveaway. You wont want to miss out on this giveaway so be sure to enter before November 8, 2010.

I love to enjoy cheese and crackers and it seems that this snack has become a favorite of many individuals in my family. There is one thing that I can tell the difference and that is that I can tell whether cheese is real or a food product. If you want to try a delicious cheese then you should enter the giveaway on the blog And Then There Were 4 where Tillamook cheese product will be given away. This giveaway ends November 14, 2010

Soup is the perfect thing for fall and winter it keeps us warm, is nutritious and ooohhh so good. I would love to win this prize pack sponsored by Progresso in the giveaway freebies and much more is hosting. This giveaway ends November 4, 2010

Win this black and white bat hair bow created by All Things Girly in a giveaway hosted by the blog Steals Deals and Life You can find lots of cute hairbows from All Things Girly. I purchased a lovely Big Sister hairbow for Princess since in March that is what she will be. Visit the etsy shop and see what all they have available then visit the blog Steals Deals and Life and enter the giveaway

When short on time I turn to instant potatoes. They make the perfect accompaniment to any meal whether formal or not. Right now you have the chance to win a nice prize pack which includes Betty Crocker Instant Potatoes. The blog Abby Approved is hosting this giveaway which ends November 2, 2010

Friday, October 22, 2010

My little Princess loves to read. She has her mommy read to her, her daddy read to her, me and papa read to her and she even looks at books and acts as if she is reading to herself. Scholastic has created a DVD with 100 storybook classics. I believe that she would love this DVD for sure. The blog In The Know Mom is hosting giveaway where lucky winner will get the DVD from scholastic. Giveaway ends October 31, 2010

Remember the power that you have as you get behind that wheel. There are those that love you and those that love others that want you to remember to drive sober even one drink may be enough to slow your awareness

Are you looking for a good snack to much on while watching movies? My teens are planning a halloween movie night with their friends and I am for sure they will all want a great snack to share. While popcorn may be the norm this warm crunchy snack is a bit past the norm and ooohhh so good.

Do you love to have something that you know is only yours? In this house where I have raised 6 children of my own and a couple of others thrown in for good measure you can bet that not only they but I do as well love something that I can say is all mine. Whymsey & Co. creates some lovely goods and best of all they will personalize them exactly how you want it done. Right now the blog Table 4 Four is hosting giveaway where some lucky person will win $25 gift certificate Giveaway ends October 30, 2010

Thursday, October 21, 2010

I love to cook when ever I can. Tonight for instance I made a pot roast meal in the slow cooker. Delicious if I do say so myself. Lawry's is a wonderful friend of mine because it helps me to provide delicious meals to my family even when i don't think there is enough time. The blog A Latte In the Morning is hosting a giveaway sponsored by Lawry's seasonings in which one winner will win a lovely pack of goodies. This giveaway ends November 4, 2010.

Most of my kids have been busy since the day they were born and were athletic through school. I did have one or two that had to be led into activities The blog A Giveaway Addicted Mommy is hosting giveaway sponsored by Aqua Leisure. The winner will win a hop ball like that pictured above. This giveaway ends November 5, 2010

Happy Green Bee is the company created by Roxanne Quimby who was born in Cambridge Massachusetts and developed an early passion for arts and nature. In 1975 she received a BFA in painting from the San Francisco Art Institute and swiftly moved to a small town in Maine where she bought her first 30 acres of woods. She lived in the woods in a small cabin with her twins for about 15 years without the comfort of electricity or running water In 1989 Roxanne and her partner Burt started a company which combined pure ingredients, natural formulas and earth friendly packaging this small cottage company has grown into an international company and is known as Burts Bees. In 2003 Roxanne sold the company and with the proceeds she started a nonprofit organization to support the environment and the arts as well as a foundation that owns and operates 70,000 acres of wilderness in North Woods of Maine. Shortly after Roxanne desired a new challenge and found it in children's clothing. She wanted to place an awareness on organic cotton and happygreenbee was created. Happy Green Bee is an all organic cotton line of clothing created especially for kids. Happy Green Bee clothing is comfortable, colorful, playful, and ecologically responsible.Happy Green Bee allows kids to look and feel great and their parents are taking a small step in making a big difference in the environment their children live in. Just take a look at some of the precious products available at Happy Green Bee

Win: One of Annies Home readers will be able to win their choice from the Happy Green Bee clearance section. To enter this giveaway visit the clearance shop of Happy Green Bee and let me know what product you would choose.

As a mother, grandmother and coming from a rural upbringing family and the Earth that we live on is very important to me. Ecover is devoted to developing and producing effective and ecological washing and cleaning products made from plant based and mineral ingredients. Since 1980 Ecover has strives to provide effective, sustainable washing and cleaning solutions to be used daily by people everywhere. Ecover is a company that I can trust to not only care for my family but also that the product is safe for the Earth. Ecover seeks to protect ecological, economic, and social aspects for not only for their company but for their customers as well. They begin by selecting raw materials, use smart production and distribution practices as well. The company practices reminds me of those that my grandmother lived by keeping energy consumption to a minimum and keeps the lights and heat on only when needed. I can remember my grandmothers adage of "use the lights only when needed and when you leave a room remember to turn the lights off" Ecover even encourages employees to be conservative on resources in their own life. Because of the manner in which Ecover does business they have received awards and have been recognized for achievements in the field of environmentally friendly, sustainable development,

Products:

Ecover has a wide range of products for the whole house and your life as well. From dishwashing to laundry from household to personal care and even a few more products in the misc.. category. We were able to review the ECover toilet bowl cleaner and I must say that it has worked rather well. Removing tough stains and not having a strong odor that is over powering.

Win: one reader of Annies Home will win the same product of toilet bowl cleaner that I reviewed. To enter this giveaway please visit the Ecover website located at http://www.ecover.coms/en/ and let me know what one of their products you would choose to try out first.

My mother always made sure that when I was younger there were plenty of great toys for me to play with that would help to build my imagination. When my children were small I did the same favor for them and now that I am a grandma there is no difference i want princess and the prince to have every chance to have as much fun with their imagination as I did. Pop on Pals can help build their imagination in their early play years. Pop on Pals is a wonderful world of fun pals, pets, vehicles and playsets. The fun never ends with the variety of mix n match fun that Pop on Pals provides. Children can imagine being anything that they want to be from a fireman to a musician, from a princess to a baker, or a puppy to a ballerina the fun will go on and on. Pop On Pals stimulates imagination and helps to build motor skills and is recommended for children between 2 and 4 years old.

Pop on Pals Amusement Park is the product that we were lucky enough to be able to review. Upon opening the box I wondered how much fun this would be for Princess. It looked like it was a toy that would be played with for a few minutes and then be done with and move on to something else. To my surprise it was not. She loved being able to manipulate the pudgy little Pop On Pal character. Best of all to me was that we could share this together because while she was playing we could talk and whenever she needed it I could help her. The set included 1 Pal, 3 Pop-On Mix n Match, Amusement Park-Themed Rings, 1 Amusement Park.

Our Review: The Pop on Pals Amusement Park would have been a whole lot more fun had the set came with more than one pal. While pals can be bought by their selves I still feel that having more than one pal would have been more fun for not only Princess but me as well. The playset has many different things that can be done by the pals where they can be in more than one place. Two pals would have been more fun and even provided more imagination skills. We did love the Pop on Pals Amusement Park and I believe we will build on to the collection. This could be something that Princess and her soon to be brother could both have lots of fun with.

Buy: you can purchase the Pop on Pals Amusement Park, other Pop on Pals and kits such as an Airplane, School Bus and Mix & Match Pal Sets at Toys R us, Target, and online at Amazon.

We received the Pop on Pals playset for purposes of review from Team Mom and Pop On Pals/Spin Master The thoughts and opinions shared on this post are those of mine alone others may have a different opinion and that is fine as well have our own opinion.

Princess loves animals and is learning to make many of their sounds. My nephews and niece love to create and use their imagination so to me there is no better toy to have than something that makes them all happy. The Moon Dough Barn does just that. Best of all Moon Dough is not like any other clay because it is what some would call magical. Moon Dough is soft, light, wheat free and non drying which means that it should last longer and even children with wheat allergies can play with it. Yeah!!! More fun for all. Moon Dough is available in a rainbow of colors including blue, white, yellow, green, orange, purple, red and pink With that many colors ones imagination can't help but to go wild. Moon Dough is intended for children ages 2 to 4. There are several play sets available from Moon Dough as well. These play sets include a diner where burgers and fries can be created, a puppy play set where a puppy and all his needs can be created, a pizza play set where a pizza can be created, and the barn featured above where all sorts of animals found on a farm can be created. Best of all because Moon Dough never dries out it can be played with over and over again.

The Moon Dough Barn came with Magic Molding Barn, fence mold, hay mold, play mat, 10oz bag green moon dough, 10oz bag yellow moon dough, 10oz bag blue moon dough It was plenty enough supply to create an afternoon of great fun. It was great fun to turn the crank and watch a surprise come out of the barn. Remember the surprise of the Jack In The Box and how fun it was? Just think about creating a whole barn yard of animals, hay bales and having lots of fun.

Our Review:
we felt as if the moon dough was fun to play with and that the dough itself was fun to squish and play with. However when we tried to create our own shapes without the molds it was not as easy to do. The clay itself felt like marshmallows and when the Moon Dough was used with the barn play set it was fun to see the shapes that were created. These shapes stayed together well and we had loads of fun.

Disclosure: The Moon Dough Barnyard has been provided for review by Team Mom and Spin Master The thoughts and opinions shared in this post are those of mine alone and you may agree or disagree with them since they are simply opinions

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

One thing that I love to watch at the home football games is the half time show. The daughter of one of my best friends is a flag girl and I admire her talent at doing so. I love the way the picture looks as if they are in motion.

One thing that aggravates me is when clothes that have not been wore very long suddenly wind up being spilled on and a stain ending up on the clothes. One thing that I have found that helps me out a lot is a stain chart that helps me to know what to do to try to get the stain out before it sets in. If you would love to know exactly how to get stains out or at least try to get them out before they get set in take a look at this Stain Chart originally from Martha Stewart.

Wow!!! Would you take a look at one person could win from the blog The Frugal Navy Wife. I would love to win this great prize it would help me out on all those hectic nights. The Frugal Navy Wife is a new blog to me but I am very thankful that I found it. She sounds like a busy woman so I could see why Tastefully Simple would be perfect for her. Hurry over and enter this giveaway before October 31, 2010

Have you heard about the new promotion at Wendy's? It is one that I could really get into. It is pick 2 for $4.99. Yes any 2 for $4.99 will get you one of their amazing salads with your choice of one of 28 items on the menu. Sounds pretty good to me. Right now the blog Sage and Savvy is hosting giveaway where one lucky winner will get a $7.00 gift card. This giveaway ends November 3, 2010

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

This time of year many of us could use a bit of extra money. For a chance to win a $30 Wal-Mart gift card all you have to do is like Living on Love and Giveaways on facebook and then go back and leave a comment on their blog The giveaway ends October 31, 2010.

One of the first things that my kids learned how to cook their selves was grilled cheese. I find grilled cheese easy to make, fits great into many budgets and can stand alone with chips or accompanies a bowl of soup on soup and sandwich night

Stir together butter and Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Spread 1 1/2 tsp. butter mixture on 1 side of each bread slice. Place 4 bread slices, buttered sides down, on wax paper. Top with provolone and mozzarella cheeses; top with remaining bread slices, buttered sides up. Cook sandwiches, in batches, on a hot griddle or in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, gently pressing with a spatula, 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cheese is melted

I love gadgets and dishes and accessories in the kitchen. Zak designs is a company that I was recently introduced to and I love the wonderful colors that they have kitchen bowls, serving utensils and etc.. in. My favorites would be the blues and the rainbow colors. The blog Menopausal Mom is hosting a giveaway that Zak! Designs is sponsoring. The giveaway is for a beautiful set of mixing bowls

I think that would brighten up any kitchen. Wow those beautiful colors of the rainbow are very pretty. The giveaway ends October 27, 2010

Fall is a wonderful season one filled with beautiful colors, weather that is irresistible and food that can sometimes only be found in the cooler months. However, fall season also means the start of flu and cold season. Lysol is a name that is very familiar in my house during the fall and winter season. The blog contest and giveaways is hosting a giveaway sponsored by Lysol where the winner will get a $20 AMEX gift card. Giveaway ends October 27, 2010.

The Owl and the Firefly is an etsy shop where many lovely hand crafted items can be found. The blog Discovering The Me In Mommy is hosting a giveaway where the winner will win a wrist cuff watch from the owl & The Firefly Etsy shop. This giveway ends November 21, 2010

Good Boy Roy creates tees after characters that they develop. You should check out their full line of great tees. Katie at the blog A Shoppers Quest is hosting a giveway where someone can win thier choice of tee. There are so many to pick from I saw several that i would choose for my teens that fit their personality perfect. This giveawy ends November 1, 2010

This little girl will be celebrating her birthday soon. She recently celebrated with her family her baptism. How great. She love Hannah Montana and country music. I can't wait to go see her in her Christmas play at church and best of all I love the fact that I can call her my niece

If you have been around my blog for long you may remember my review on the Scandle candle. The same company that made the original great feeling Scandle Candle has brought out another wonderfu product the Shimmering Lotion Candle.

The Scandle Shimmering Lotion Candle is specially designed to burn just 2 degrees above body temperature and to provide a shimmering fragrant lotion that will give your skin a healthy , flawless and sexy glow. If ones skin feels and looks great how can one not do anything but feel great as well. Scandle prides itself in the fact that only 100% natural ingredients are used in their Scandle Shimmering Lotion Candle and it is also the first candle to help hide wrinkles by deflecting light, give skin a natural shimmering look, help hydrate skin and adds aroma and ambiance to any setting.
Buy: you can purchase The Scandle Shimmering Lotion Candle from the Scandle website at http://www.abodycandle.com

My kids love sports and play them quite often. There are two nights for volleyball a week, add in exercise as a group two to three times a week, watching a sport event at least a couple of times a week and playing out in the yard you can see that my teens stay quite busy. What do they do when they are at home when the weather is rain, snow or ice? Well they compete some more by playing board games. Out of The Box Publishing is one of my favorite places to shop and find new games that are out because the games they carry are not only fun and creative but also often very educational as well

A bit about Out of the Box Publishing:
Out of the Box Publishing has the philosophy that games should be fun. We can all agree with that I think. They believe that games should provide delightful diversions to our lives and bring us together for purpose of entertainment. I for one can agree with this we can all use a break just a moment to relax in life and I love to come together as a family and do something fun. My teens love to compete but I must say that one thing that I taught them is that win or lose you treat the other side with respect and games are for enjoyment not for fighting over. The games available at Out of the Box Publishing are games that can be learned in minutes they are games that are to be played rather than reading directions for long periods of time and can normally be played in less than an hour. The games are colorfully illustrated which adds to the fun of playing and are easy to store as they have all been packaged smartly.
Pirate Vs Pirate game

Pirate versus Pirate is a game designed for 2 to 3 players ages 8 to adult. Perfect for my teens who are normally tagged up with a sibling or friend. My youngest brother has a captured audience on his love of Pirates. It seems that he has turned my teens into pirate lovers of their own right. So when I was offered the chance to review Pirates versus Pirates I knew that my teens would love it.

Pirate versus Pirate is a quick game taking an average of 20 to 30 minutes to play. Perfect for my teens on the go who love to play games but do not have hours to spend on one. It is a new game just being marketed in 2010. The definition of the game as shared by Out of the Box Publishing is:Three bands of pirates have discovered an island brimming with treasure. Conquer the island by capturing the gold and silver, or by eliminating the enemy pirates. Position your pirates carefully, enemies are all around and they are hungry for treasure!

Buy: the game Pirate versus Pirate which retails for around $24.99 and can be purchased at a retailer near you

we received the game shared in this review for review purposes only. The thoughts and opinions shared within this post are those of mine and may or may not agree with others since everyone has their own opinions

In "other" words is a meme where a qoute of inspiration is shared and the group shares their thoughts on what the words means to them. Debbie from Heart Choices is hosting this week and chose the words from One In A Million by Priscilla Shirer

“The spirit of complaint is born out of an unwillingness to trust God with today. Like the Israelites, it means you are spending your time looking back toward Egypt or wishing for the future, all the while missing what God is doing right now.”

It is hard for us to break away from things of yesterday. I think it is human for us to want to go back to what life was before. When times get tough we often desire to go back to the way it was before. I can remember when I first was married and had young children. I was a young mother who often desired to go back to the way it was in my teenage years. I can remember loving my daughter yet wanting to do the things that I did before her. Her father worked a lot and was gone and I found myself alone many days. The bond between me and my daughter was strong then because she was all I had and that bond has remained strong since.

When I think about the times in life that I often desired what I had left not knowing what the Lord had planned for me. I believe it is only human to want to retreat to what we know rather than to walk through the wilderness of the unknown to find out what the Lord has planned for us. This also leads into another thought one of trusting out Lord with all. Often this is hard to do as we have no idea of what lays before us and full knowledge of what lays behind us. Whether it is good or bad it is familliar.

Have you ever seen times where you wanted to retreat to the known rather than to go forward into the unknown?

This is a photo that was shot of the deer that my friend shot you can see the antlers There are many deer hunters here in Southern Illinois in fact many schools close school on Friday when Deer season comes in. Do you have any hunters in your family?